influence.

HOW TO TRAIN A MAID

"Set thine house in order," and have everything--pantry and kitchen in
particular--as you expect your maid to keep it. First impressions are
truly the most lasting, and if she comes into a littered, soiled,
untidy kingdom, you may expect her reign to be proportionally lax and
her respect for your housekeeping abilities conspicuously absent. This
is a bad beginning, and then it is not exactly fair to set her to work
the very first thing to bring order from chaos. See that she has all
the tools necessary to her work, replacing broken or useless utensils
and assuring yourself that the cutlery and crockery for her individual
table use are whole and inviting. Show the maid to her room as soon as
she arrives, with instructions to don her working garb; and then begins
the induction into office, a trying experience to you both, and one
which should be sufficiently prolonged to enable her to get a good grip
of each new duty as it presents itself. Avoid confusing her at the
start with a jumble of instructions, but make haste slowly, giving
directions in a way which she can understand. Introduce her into her
workroom, explain the range and show her how to operate it, point out
the different utensils and their uses and where foods are kept. If she
comes in the morning, her first duty will be the preparation of
luncheon; give her instructions for that meal, what to have, and how to
set the table, this being the proper time to go over the list of table
furnishings with her. Don't embarrass her by being continually at her
heels, but give what directions you think necessary and then let her
apply her judgment and previous experience to carrying them out. If
you find that she has neither, don't be discouraged, for you may be
entertaining an angel unawares, but adopt the line upon line, precept
upon precept plan, and the situation will slowly but surely brighten.
If she is overstupid in one direction, she may be bright enough in some
other to establish a balance. Luncheon and its dishes disposed of,
arrange with her about dinner, and after its completion speak about her
hour of rising, the preparation of breakfast, etc. And the morning and
the evening were the first day!

THE DAILY ROUTINE

The day's routine of work varies in different households and makes it
impossible for one to offer an infallible system. The keeping of but
one servant does not admit of an elaborate mode of liv